Jonathan Woodgate has admitted that he doesn't think Darren Randolph's move to West Ham 'is too far away'.
The 32-year-old was expected to complete a £4million move to the Premier League side last week but the move was delayed due to a problem with his medical.
Randolph then returned to training with Middlesbrough and travelled with the squad for their FA Cup third round replay with Tottenham Hotspur on Monday night.
However when pressed on why the 32-year-old wasn't in the squad, Woodgate said that his move to East London could be back on.
Speaking after the defeat to Tottenham, Woodgate said: “Darren, maybe the next 24 hours we’ll find out more.
"I don’t think it’s too far away to be honest, so let’s see.
“He’ll have another scan and we’ll know more in the next 24 hours."
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Asked how he'll cope if Randolph leaves, Woodgate said: "I’ll get on with it.
"Darren’s a top pro, absolutely top class pro and if he goes to West Ham good luck and I wish him all the best.
“If he stays here, he’ll be fantastic.”
The verdict
Darren Randolph's move to West Ham needs to be completed for the sake of everyone involved.
While obviously it's sensible to conduct a thorough medical, the 32-year-old has a good track record of being fit for the Teessiders and so hopefully there won't be too much of a problem.
Both clubs - as well as the player - will be hopeful of getting the deal completed now so that they can move forward.